Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,42

just as bad. You know?”

Nathan wouldn’t look at her. A flurry had begun to fall and he squinted into the snow as he led her off a trail and down to a paved road that led straight back to the lodge. He’d known all the shortcuts to get them back quickly. She sort of wished they’d taken their time. Every inch closer made her blood run a little colder.

“Yeah,” Nathan said darkly. “He was always good at that. Talking people into things. When I knew him, it was mostly by being charming. Talking them into bad ideas. But I guess it’s just as easy to talk someone into being terrified.”

“Yeah.” She leaned into him as they walked down the paved road.

“Alanna,” Nathan said. “When I say, I have your back. When I say, I’m your mate and when I say he will not hurt you again, I know it could get me killed. I know how powerful he is. He’s probably bringing some big guys with him and my brothers and I can fight but—”

“Nathan,” Alanna said, shaking her head.

“But,” he continued, “this has been a long time coming. My past was always going to come back to bite me but I’ve made my peace with it. If I go down fighting for you, it’s okay. And I never want you to feel guilty.”

“Don’t say that,” she whispered.

I’ll go down fighting for you too, she thought. But she couldn’t say it. It would only make him feel worse. But she promised herself, as they cut across the bunny slope and headed to one of the back entrances of the lodge, she wouldn’t lose Nathan Strauss without making Rawley pay for it somehow.

“Nathan!”

Nathan was leading Alanna down a corridor at the back of the lodge behind the kitchens when Cody came running up to them, eyes wide. “Shit! Wait, no don’t go out on the floor.”

Nathan and Alanna stopped cold and Nathan squeezed her hand, shooting her a fierce look as Cody caught his breath.

“He’s here,” Nathan said. “Isn’t he?”

“He’s in the dining hall,” Cody said tightly. “Came in asking for John and Alanna.” He nodded to Alanna and said, “Hi, by the way. I’m Cody Strauss.”

Alanna swallowed and she hated the way she trembled, her body a traitor to her fear.

“He’s throwing his weight around,” Cody said. “Rawley went up to the room and nobody answered. Eric told him John and Alanna went into town to stall. But it’s not going to stall him forever. We need—”

“A plan.” Eric was striding up to them, followed by the owner Alanna had seen occasionally greeting guests on the floor, Connor, the oldest and largest of the Strauss brothers. Alanna found herself relaxing slightly. Nathan made her feel safe, but all the brothers together made her feel as if she were backed by a tiny army.

“He’s got a lot of men,” Connor said, nodding to Alanna in greeting. “They’re taking over the dining hall, getting rowdy. They’re making a point of it to intimidate us.” He narrowed his eyes. “In my lodge. It’s really pissing me off.”

“You didn’t tell us how fucking big he is either,” Cody said, smacking Nathan’s arm.

“I don’t remember him being that big,” Nathan said, frowning. “He was shorter than me.”

All the other brothers gaped at Nathan and Alanna yelped in surprise. “He’s not anymore!” she said. “He’s bigger than him.” She nodded at Connor.

“What?” Nathan shook his head. “How? I mean he could put on muscle but...”

“If you’ve got the money and the will,” Connor said, “you can get the right warlock to do anything for you. Anyway, he’s huge now. Over seven feet tall. And...bulky.”

“Shit,” Nathan murmured, and he looked at Alanna with a small epiphany in his eyes. He had pictured a smaller man going after her. She could practically see the gears in his head working as he pictured everything with this new version of Rawley.

“How many men would you say he has?” Cody asked Eric.

“I’m guessing like twenty,” Eric said. “I mean we’re tough but…”

“Guns?” Nathan said.

“I haven’t seen any yet.”

“What about my brother?” Alanna said. “He’s kinda lean? Long dark hair? Probably beat up.”

Eric and Connor shook their heads. “We haven’t seen him yet,” Connor said.

“He’s saving his leverage,” Nathan said.

The Strauss brothers were all talking but Alanna barely heard them.

Twenty men.

It was all she could think about. Four against twenty. It didn’t matter how tough the Strauss brothers thought they were or that Nathan had marked her or that they all meant